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Azim Daudpota

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Mohammad Azim Daudpota
25th Governor of Sindh
In office
12 October 1999 – 25 May 2000
Preceded byMamnoon Hussain
Succeeded byMuhammad Mian Soomro
Personal details
Born(1933-09-14)14 September 1933
Bombay, British India
(now Mumbai, India)
Died3 April 2017(2017-04-03) (aged 83)
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Awards Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)
Sitara-e-Jurat
Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military)
Order of Merit (Zimbabwe)
Military service
Allegiance Pakistan
 Zimbabwe
Branch/service Pakistan Air Force
 Air Force of Zimbabwe
Years of service1951–1989
Rank Air Marshal
Unit
CommandsSargodha Airbase
Air Force of Zimbabwe
Battles/wars

Air Marshal Mohammed Azim Daudpota (Sindhi: محمد عظيم دائودپوٽو; 14 September 1933 – 3 April 2017), commonly known as Azim Daudpota, was the first Sindhi pilot in Pakistan Air Force and the first Sindhi to receive the Sitara-e-Jurrat (Star of Bravery) Award.

He was a three-star officer in the Pakistan Air Force who went on to serve as the Chief of Air Staff of Air Force of Zimbabwe, and then to briefly serve as Governor of Sindh.[1][2]

Early life

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Azim Daudpota was born on 14 September 1933 in Bombay (now called Mumbai), British India. His father, Umar Bin Muhammad Daudpota, was a Sindhi research scholar, linguist and a historian of the Indus valley.[1] After his basic education at St. Patrick's High School, Karachi, he completed his college education at D. J. Sindh Government Science College, Karachi in 1951.[1][3]

Air force career

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Daudpota joined the Pakistan Air Force Academy in 1951. The following year, he commenced a course of training at Royal Australian Air Force Academy from where he graduated in 1956. After service as a pilot and then as Squadron Commander of numbers 15 and 17; he attended the PAF Staff College before serving on the staff of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. After a further period of training at the Royal College of Defence Studies in London, Daudpota commanded PAF Bases Rafiqui and Sargodha.[1]

Chief of Zimbabwe Air Force

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In 1983 the Zimbabweans sought assistance from Pakistan as they wanted to replace the former Rhodesian officer who then headed the Air Force of Zimbabwe. Daudpota was selected and served as Commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe from July 1983 to January 1986.[1]

Civilian work

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On his return to Pakistan, Daudpota became the Managing Director and Chairman Of Pakistan International Airlines from January 1986 to March 1991.

He became the Chairman of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation. He joined Kashmir Corporation as an Executive Director in April 1991; from 25 October 1999 to 24 May 2000, Daudpota also became the Governor of Sindh (1999 – 2000).[4]

At the time of his death, he was the chairman of the board at MacPac Films Limited, a company that makes raw material for packaging.[1][3]

Honours and recognition

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Death

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Azim Daudpota died on 3 April 2017 in Karachi at age 83 after battling a number of illnesses and died of cardiac arrest. He was buried at Pakistan Air Force's Faisal Airbase graveyard in Karachi.[1][3][2]

Awards and decorations

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Hilal-e-Imtiaz

(Military)

(Crescent of Excellence)

Sitara-e-Jurat

(Star of Courage)

Sitara-e-Imtiaz

(Military)

(Star of Excellence)

Tamgha-e-Diffa

(General Service Medal)

Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War

(War Star 1965)

Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War

(War Medal 1965)

Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War

(War Medal 1971)

Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-

Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam

(100th Birth Anniversary of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah)

Tamgha-e-Jamhuria

(Republic Commemoration Medal)

1956

India Service Medal

1939–1945

Queen Elizabeth II

Coronation Medal

(1953)

Order of Merit

(Zimbabwe)

Foreign Decorations

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Foreign Awards
 Zimbabwe Order of Merit

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Shazia Hasan (4 April 2017). "1965 war hero Daudpota passes away". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hafeez Tunio (3 April 2017). "Former Sindh governor Azim Daudpota is no more". The Express Tribune (newspaper). Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Naveed Siddiqiqui (3 April 2017). "War hero Air Marshal Azim Daudpota passes away". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Governors of Sindh". Government of Sindh website. Archived from the original on 4 July 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
[edit]
Military offices
Preceded by Commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe
1983–1986
Succeeded by
Business positions
Preceded by
Unknown
Chairman of Pakistan International Airlines
1986–1991
Succeeded by
Unknown
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Sindh
1999–2000
Succeeded by